Waterfront Park, Palm Coast Fishing

Waterfront Park is Palm Coast's award-winning park on the Intracoastal (the people's choice winner of the Great Places in Florida award in 2024), and its pier makes an easy first fishing trip for a family.

• A fishing pier and a floating dock
• Redfish, seatrout, black drum and flounder in the waterway
• A restroom, three pavilions, a covered patio and a playground
• Daily hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Trails that link to the rest of the city's path system

The park is at 150 Waterfront Park Road, Palm Coast, on the west bank of the Intracoastal Waterway.

• Parking: a lot inside the park
• Fees: the city lists no entry fee
• Opening times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, which rules out first light and late evening in summer
• Getting to the pier: paths lead from the parking area and the pavilions to the pier
• By bike: the Intracoastal Waterway Trail and the city's wider path network run through the park, and there is a bike maintenance station

Expect the usual Intracoastal lineup, with each season favoring different fish.

• Spring (Mar-May): redfish and seatrout feeding along the grassy edges, black drum, late sheepshead
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper tucked around the pilings, flounder on sandy bottom, jacks and ladyfish busting bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): mullet schools move down the waterway with redfish, flounder and jacks behind them
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum on the pier pilings, and seatrout on mild days

A 7 foot spinning rod with 10 to 15 lb braid and a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader handles almost everything here.

• Drift a live shrimp under an adjustable float for seatrout and redfish
• Soak shrimp or a crab piece on a knocker rig close to the pilings for black drum
• Use a small, strong hook and fiddler crabs for winter sheepshead
• Bounce a mud minnow along the bottom for flounder
• Keep a small spoon or jig handy for jacks and ladyfish
• A long-handled pier net helps land a good fish from the deck

The Intracoastal here is well inland of the inlets, so the water rises and falls only modestly, about a foot, twice a day, and lags the ocean tide by hours.

• Fish when the current is running; the slack between tides is usually quiet
• In summer the first hours after the 7 a.m. opening are the coolest and often the most productive
• Clear, calm days help with sight-feeding seatrout and sheepshead
• A stiff wind against the current muddies the water
• Summer afternoon storms can arrive quickly

A gentle, easy spot for young or new anglers.

• Paths from the parking and a short pier make it an easy walk
• Give boats room at the floating dock and watch for wakes
• Manatees use the waterway: never cast at them or feed them
• Leave the pier when thunderstorms build
• Biting insects can be bad on still, humid days
• Bring water and sun protection in the warm months

The City of Palm Coast lists good facilities.

• A restroom and parking
• A fishing pier and a floating boat dock
• Three picnic pavilions and a covered patio, which can be rented
• A playground and a bike maintenance station
• QR-code signs with short videos on birds, manatees, monofilament and the history of the waterway
• The kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk has been removed for upgrades, with no date for its return
• No bait shop is listed, so bring bait and ice

• Arrive at opening time on summer mornings
• Scan the park's monofilament QR sign and take old line home
• Winter sheepshead sit tight to the pilings; drop fiddler crabs straight down
• Watch the water for manatees and dolphins while you wait for a bite
• Leave time to pack up before the 7 p.m. closing
• The Children's Memorial Garden, a quarter mile north along the trail, is a quiet place for a break

The City of Palm Coast runs Waterfront Park.

• Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; follow the park's posted rules
• City code makes it unlawful to catch fish with nets, cast nets included, or trotlines in city parks, so bring your bait rather than throwing a net
• Anglers need a Florida saltwater fishing license unless they are exempt
• Observe any posted manatee and no-wake zones if you launch a kayak or boat
• The FWC sets size, bag and season limits; check the current ones on myfwc.com before keeping fish